Device for keeping the dispensing openings clear on salt and condiment shakers



July 27; 1965 AMSTER 3,197,077

DEVICE FOR KEE G THE DISPENSING OPENINGS CLEAR ON SALT AND CONDIME SHAKERS Filed April 2, 1

INVENTOR. 67AM E) ANSI??? m ii...

United States Patent 3 197 M7 nnvrcn non rrnnrusio r nrsrnrssmo oPEN- rrsos CLEAR oN SALT (IGNDMENT SHAKERS Stanley Amster, 234 W. 52nd St., New York, N.Y. Filed Apr. 2, 1962, Se!- No. 1s4,1ss 12 Claims. (or. 222-449) The present invention relates to a device for keeping the dispensing openings clear on salt and condiment shakers and it particularly relates to a device associated with removable cap type salt and condiment shakers or cellars.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a simple, readily installed and usable device which will enable rapid and accurate clearing of dispensing openings in salt and other condiment dispensing containers or shakers and which will not become jammed and which will readily be inserted in the openings without too great amount of manipulation and which will not interfere during dispensing operation with the out ward flow of salt or other condiment when the shaker, dispenser or cellar is oscillating in inverted position.

A further object is to provide a dispensing adjunct for salt and condiment dispensers in which the adjunct device will act to aid in dispensing and during the vibration incidental to the dispensing will serve to clear the openings and remove any agglomeration which may tend to clog the same.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a device which may also be utilized to seal the openings when the device is not in use so as to prevent entry of moisture or humidification of the salt or condiment with resulting clogging and stoppage of the dispensing openings.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explanation only and not by way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects according to one embodiment of the present invention, the removable top, whether it be a screw type, bayonet type or telescoping type of either plastic, glass or metal or other materials, has the usual attachment skirt which may be provided with the screw connection or with bayonet connections or with a telescoping lip and it has a dome or dispensing face having a series of spaced dispensing openings.

These dispensing openings are desirably shaped so that they will tend to slightly converge outwardly and so that it is possible to obtain a conical jamming effect in respect to an interiorly outwardly directed prong.

Centrally located at the top or upper face of the dispensing openings will be a reciprocable rod desirably of a self-centering character having a polygonal cross-section so that it may be kept in a properly aligned position in its reciprocating movement through the cap.

The central reciprocable rod or guide member is desirably provided with a large exterior knob or handle member which enables the rod to be lifted then reciprocated through the cap and interiorly at the lower end of the rod there is provided a carrier or a series of prongs, projections, pins or elongated clearing elements.

These clearing elements are desirably provided one for each dispensing opening and they are so arranged that they will be aligned with such openings in View of the polygonal nature of the central opening through which the reciprocating rod extends and through which the reciprocating rod is guided in its reciprocating movement.

The prongs are so arranged that they will be of slightly upwardly tapered contour so as to jam into and clear the correspondingly shaped openings in the dispensing face and so that the points of the prongs or projections will project slightly beyond the upper face of the cap in uppermost position.

The platform may also be weighted so as to bias the rod, the carrier and the prongs all downwardly out of engagement when the salt cellar or condiment dispenser is placed on a table or shelf in upright position.

Instead of a square or triangular cross-section rod it is also possible to use a keyed rod so as to prevent rotary movement during the reciprocatory motion of the clearing device.

Desirably the clearing elements are of a softer material than the material of the shell of the dispensing cap or cover so that they will not tend to enlarge the openings or break the openings and where resinous materials are utilized the resin of the prong will be of softer material than the resinous molded shell. of the dispensing cover.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the salt or condiment dispenser with the clearing device in its lowest position.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view upon the line 22 of FIG. 1 upon an enlarged scale as compared to FIG. 1, showing the dispensing device in its lowermost position.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, except that the clearing device is shown in its uppermost position.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the platform which carries the prongs from the line 4-4- of FIG. 2, upon an enlarged scale as compared to FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is atop plan view similar to FIG. 4 of an alternative arrangement in which the rod is circular but has a key at one side thereof.

FIG. 6 is still another embodiment similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 in which the cross-section is of eccentric or olfcircular shape so as to hold it in position.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side sectional view showing the cooperative shape and location of a clearing prong and dispensing opening.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 there is shown by way of example a molded plastic screw cap A with a threaded skirt B which is screwed onto the upper edge C of a container, cellar or shaker body D.

The present invention is particularly directed to the reciprocatory clearing device E having a top handle member F, a reciprocatory rod G and a carrier element H.

This carrier element may take various'shapes and forms but generally it has a contour as wide as or about the same width of the area of the dispensing openings.

Desirably the carrier is integrally molded with or is provided with a series of spaced upwardly directed clearing prongs I which are slightly tapered or conical upwardly so as to properly clear the openings in the cap A. As indicated in FIG. 7, these openings are desirably of conical shape which is slightly dilferent in convergence than the prongs J so that there will be a rapid and speedy clearing effect and so that there will be a final jam effect assuring thorough clearing of the relatively small openings K in the cap or cover A.

The jam fit may be permitted to close the dispensing openings K and seal the cover against entrance of moisture when the container is not used. Then actuation of the handle F will lower the prongs I out of the openings.

When the shaker is at an inclination the prongs J will not jam into the openings K and prevent dispensation since the weight M as well as the weight of the entire device will hold the prongs J to the side and prevent engagement and jamming of the openings K.

This will permit readily dispensation when the container is shaken or reciprocated at an angle without the prongs I engaging the openings and with the prongs being held to the side.

The reciprocatory rod 10 is provided with'a Weighted 'member M which will tend to bias the rod and carrier H downwardly when the cellar or shaker is in upright position. Desirably, as shown in FIG. 4, the cross-section 10 is of rectangular or square shape to rnatch a corersponding opening 11 which will assure that a reciprocatory movement, as indicated by the double arrowlZ of the rod G will not also provide a circular movement tending'to cause misalignment of the prongs J and the openings K.

Generally, the corresponding cross-section 10 of the rod G and the shape of the opening 11 in the top of the cap A will assure that the prongs I willalways be in alignment to assure that the prongs I will always find their correct position even with the slight lost motion or loose movement due to clearance between the cross-section 1t) and the opening 11 and the lower portion of the openings 'K will be beveled outwardly as indicated at 13 in FIG. 7

so that the prong I will find its opening and be guided thereinto by the bevel 13.

In the embodiment of FIG. the opening 11 will have a cross-section corresponding to the circular cross-section 14 of the rod G having the outstanding key or projection 15.

In theembodiment of FIG. 6 the cross-section 16 will be elongated in one direction to match a correspondingly shaped opening in the cap A also to prevent rotary movement.

In this embodiment of FIG. 6 there may be a series of edged recesses to increase the flow passageways of the salt or condiment past the carrier H. 7

The reciprocatory movement of the carrier H when in an inverted position with the weight M behind it will also serve .to aid in the dispersion of the condiment or salt and in clearing the openings when this is done.

Although the cap may have an internal thread on its skirt to assure that there will be no interference between the carrier and the interior of the top of the dispensing vessel it may be desirable .to exteriorly thread the cap and interiorly thread the top of the container.

It is thus apparent that the applicant has provided an inexpensive, readily installed, durable clearing device for salt and condimentshakers.

It is to be understood that the subject material of the invention may be made of other materials than plastic pensing so that the prongs I will not jam the openings and prevent the materials from being adequately dispensed the'rethrough.

While there has been herein described a preferred form of the invention, it should be understood that the same may be altered in details and in relative arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A salt shaker of the type having a solid vertical container with an elongated vertical axis and with an engagement mouth, said container being filled and emptied through said mouth and being otherwise devoid of openings and normally positioned when not in use in upright position and being inverted and vertically reciprocated by hand when dispensing salt, an inverted cup-like readily removable" turn cap having an inverted skirt with means to engage said mouth and a top base having a plurality of spaced dispensing openings; the combination therewith of a handle carrying pronged dispensing opening clearing device for clearing said openings and removing any agglomeration clogging the same, said device including a central vertical reciprocatory shaft extending through and carried by the top base of said cap, a carrier on the lower end of said shaft carrying spaced upwardly projecting elongated prongs, said carrier having smaller diameter than the cap and being freely reclprocable due to the force. of gravity upon movement of the container from upright storage position to inverted dispensing position, said prongs being located to project through said openings when the container is inverted and being lowered well away from said openings when the container is upright and a top stop handle on said shaft to contact the top base of said cap and keep said carrier and prongs in lowered position within said cap, said handle and said shaft being attached to the pronged device and said handle being mounted on the top of said shaft and said prongs serving to clear said openings when in their uppermost position and serving to leave said openings and be removed from said openings when the prong device is in its lowermost position and withdrawn into the container and the weight of said prong device serving to swing the prong device slightly off center when the container is turned into horizontal position and away from vertical position 2. The device of claim 1, said carrier having a weight attached to the bottom thereof so as to bias said carrier downwardly with the prongs away from the openings when the container is upright and so as to bias the prongs downwardly into the openings when the container is inverted.

3. The shaker of claim 1, said prongs being of frustro conical shape converging upwardly away from the carrier and said openings being of divergent shape downwardly toward the interior of the container so as to form a jam fit with the prongs when the container is inverted.

4. The shaker of claim 1, said shaft having a noncircular cross section and an opening in said cap forming a bearing for said shaft having the same non-circular cross section so as to prevent rotation of the carrier and shaft and so as to maintain alignment of the prongs with the openings. 7

5. The shaker of claim 1, said openings being limited to the central area of said top base and being'spaced around the center of said base and around said shaft and said prongs being correspondingly spaced around said shaft and adjacent the edges of said carrier.

6. The shaker of claim 1, said carrier being of circular cross section and said prongs being of conical shape projecting partly through said openings in 'said inverted position and being smaller in number than the number of openings and being of a softer material than the material of the cap.

7. The shaker of claim 1, in which the cap is of a nondeformable hard plastic and in which the clearing device is of slightly deformable soft plastic and said openings having a different cross sectional shape than said prongs 1 so as to jam thereinto upon inversion of the container.

8. A salt shaker of the type having a container with a vertically elongated base receptacle with a reduced diameter neck to receive salt and the like and a plastic cap therefor having a depending cylindrical skirt to engage said neck and having a fiat top and a rounded outer edge portion connecting the skirt and top, said top having a central opening of non-circular shape and an arrangement of dispensing openings of cylindrical shape positioned between the central opening and the rounded edge; the combination therewith of pronged device including a reciprocating horizontal platform within the cap having a lower position at the lower edge of the skirt and an upper position against the lower face of the flat top, a central shaft of non-circular cross-section passing frictionally through said central opening having an enlarged handle above the flat top and integrally joined to the platform at its lower end and a plurality of conical upwardly extending prongs mounted on said platform and matching said dispensing openings and having a lesser diameter and said openings, said handle and said shaft being attached to the pronged device and said handle being mounted on the top of said shaft and said prongs serving to clear said openings when in their uppermost position and serving to leave said openings and be removed from said openings when the prong device is in its lowermost position and withdrawn into the container and the weight of said prong device serving to swing the prong device slightly ofi center when the container is turned into horizontal position and away from vertical position.

9. The shaker of claim 8, said prongs being of smaller diameter than said dispensing openings at their upper end and of larger diameter at their base.

6 10. The shaker of claim 8, said dispensing openings being of slightly larger diameter at their bottom than at their top.

11. The shaker of claim 8, said platform being weighted so as to bias it downwardly by gravity and said prongs acting to seal said openings when the platform is in uppermost position.

FOREIGN PATENTS 2/49 Great Britain. 19/50 Sweden.

EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Examiner. 

8. A SALT SHAKER OF THE TYPE HAVING A CONTAINER WITH A VERTICALLY ELONGATED BASE RECEPTACLE WITH A REDUCED DIAMETER NECK TO RECEIVE SALT AND THE LIKE AND A PLASTIC CAP THEREFOR HAVING A DEPENDING CYLINDRICAL SKIRT TO ENGAGE SAID NECK AND HAVING A FLAT TOP AND A ROUNDED OUTER EDGE PORTION CONNECTING THE SKIRT AND TOP, SAID TOP HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING OF NON-CIRCULAR SHAPE AND AN ARRANGEMENT OF DISPENSING OPENINGS OF CYLINDRICAL SHAPE POSITIONED BETWEEN THE CENTRAL OPENING AND THE ROUNDED EDGE; THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF PRONGED DEVICE INCLUDING A RECIPROCATING HORIZONTAL PLATFORM WITHIN THE CAP HAVING A LOWER POSITION AT THE LOWER EDGE OF THE SKIRT AND AN UPPER POSITION AGAINST THE LOWER FACE OF THE FLAT TOP, A CENTRAL SHAFT OF NON-CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION PASSING FRICTIONALLY THROUGH SAID CENTRAL OPENING HAVING AN ENLARGED HANDLE ABOVE THE FLAT TOP AND INTEGRALLY JOINED TO THE PLATFORM AT ITS LOWER END AND A PLURALITY OF CONICAL UPWARDLY EX- 